


Tear it Down to Build it Up Again

by Addie_D_123



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Brother Feels, Brotherly Love, Gen, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-24
Updated: 2014-04-24
Packaged: 2018-01-20 16:16:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1516997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Addie_D_123/pseuds/Addie_D_123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>In which the boys have a discussion about the Impala which may or may not be a metaphor for their relationship.</p><p>And I didn't even realize that today is Baby's birthday! Happy 47th!</p>
    </blockquote>





	Tear it Down to Build it Up Again

**Author's Note:**

> In which the boys have a discussion about the Impala which may or may not be a metaphor for their relationship.
> 
> And I didn't even realize that today is Baby's birthday! Happy 47th!

Sam finds Dean in the garage just like he knew he would. He’s kneeling in front of the side of the Impala, rubbing at the deep gouges in the paint with trembling fingers like he can make them disappear with the sheer force of his will. He is so absorbed in his thoughts that he doesn’t hear Sam come in, or sense that he’s there until he comes up right behind him. Sam’s close enough to hear him softly cursing the demons that did this to his Baby when he reaches out to put a hand on Dean’s shoulder.

Dean startles, bunching his shoulders up even more, tense under his touch.

“Hey man, how bad is it?”

Dean shrugs out from under his hand and stands up quickly as his knees pop in protest.

“It’s fucked.” Dean takes a few steps back, his eyes glued to the car the entire time.

Sam doesn’t know nearly as much about the Impala’s maintenance, but even from here he can see that it’s gonna be a big job. The scratches go all the way down to the metal body of the car, the color showing through cold and gray.

“I’m going to have to sand it all the way down to the body panels and start from scratch.“ Dean laments, his thoughts mirroring Sam’s own, as per usual.

Sam is suddenly too aware of his own hands hanging awkwardly at his sides. Twitching to reach out to Dean, to comfort him. But he thinks better of it as he reads Dean’s posture and shoves them in his pockets.

“Need any help?”

Dean sneers derisively before speaking. “And since when do _you_ care about the car?”

Sam’s mouth drops open and he’s stunned for a moment before he’s able to sputter out a reply.

“Of course I care Dean! What’s your problem!?”

Dean smirks as he begins to roll up his sleeves, taking a few steps towards Sam but eyes still locked on his Baby.

“My problem? Huh.” He chuckles darkly to himself. “Well lately it seems I got a lot of those. A lot of problems and not a lot of solutions.” He drags a hand over his face and looks over to meet Sam’s stare.

“So I’m going to fix what I can, right now. With my own two hands.” His eyes linger for a moment longer and Sam can read the thinly veiled question in his eyes.

Maybe this isn’t just about the car.

Sam tries to hold him there with a look but Dean is off again. He strides over to a workbench along the wall, trying to appear busy inspecting the belt sander that is now in his hands. As if he can feel the weight of Sam’s eyes on him he puts the sander down, and places his palms flat on either side of it. He drops his chin down, closes his eyes and Sam watches his ribs expand and deflate with each fast and heavy breath.

Sam walks to him carefully, each footstep echoing loudly in the sudden silence. When he reaches Dean he doesn’t let himself hesitate before placing both hands firmly on his shoulders and leaving them there. Dean doesn’t flinch this time. Rather it seems that Sam’s touch alone has melted away the tension he was holding onto so tightly. If only for a moment.

“Dean.” Sam tries to make that one word a question and the answer. He presses his thumbs in the knots behind Dean’s shoulder blades and smiles slightly at the soft groans he gets in return. He works in small circles with a steady pressure until the muscle relents and he can watch his brother’s head roll gently to the side with relief.

“Dean, just listen to me, okay?’ He takes his silence as an agreement. “Everything is not fucked.”

Dean sighs deeply and Sam continues.

“The Impala has been through worse than this before, right? So maybe you have to take her down the frame, build her up all over again. Maybe a fresh start is exactly what she needs.”

Sam pulls his hands back as Dean turns around slowly, leaning back against the bench. He looks up at Sam with pleading eyes, glassy with the beginnings of tears.

“Dean, you can do this. You’re a stubborn bastard and you’ll fix it. And you know it’s not just _you_ , right?”  Sam swallows the lump rising in his throat and waits for the tremor in his voice to subside. I mean, they’re just talking about the car here, right?  “I mean I’m right here, just ask me. You don’t have to do this alone.”

Dean shoots his eyes to the side as he wipes the back of his hand across them roughly. And he is _not_ crying, he’s just tired. When he looks back, Sam finds something new in his gaze. Determination and renewed purpose. A glimmer of pride and maybe a little hope.

And the most familiar to him of all, love.

“Yeah okay Sammy.” Dean snorts and pushes past Sam. He shoulder checks him gently and it’s like the spell is broken. “I’ll go grab a beer and then I’m gonna get started. It’s gonna be a bitch of a job.”

Sam is still reeling, so caught up on the fact that Dean called him ‘Sammy’ that he barely catches him before he’s out the door.

“Hey man, grab me one too?”

And Dean is at least halfway down the hall before he lets himself grin in return.

 

 

 


End file.
